Brumfield History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The history of the Brumfield family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living near an area of open land covered with broom, which is a type of shrub which usually has small yellow flowers. The surname Brumfield may also be derived from residence in one of the places called Broomfield in the counties of Kent, Essex, or Somerset, or in one of the settlements called Bromfield in Cumberland (Cumbria) or at Broomfield in Shropshire.

Early Origins of the Brumfield family

The surname Brumfield was first found in Cumberland where their ancient manor and estates were at Hames Hall. They became one of the distinguished families of Cumberland. They also became responsible for the defense of the East March of the English Scottish border along with the Greys and the Dunnes. The place name was first spelt Brounefled (c.1125) and was derived from the Old English words brom + fled. [1]

One of the earliest records of the name was Edmund de Bromfield (Edmund Bromfeld or Bramfield) (died 1393), an English Benedictine monk of Bury St. Edmunds who became bishop of Llandaff. [2]

Early History of the Brumfield family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brumfield research.

Brumfield Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Brumfield include Broomfield, Broomfeild, Bromfield, Broomfelde and many more.

Early Notables of the Brumfield family (pre 1700)

Notables of this surname at this time include: Matthew Broomfield (fl. 1550), a Welsh poet whose poems are preserved in manuscript in the collections of the Cymmrodorion Society and of the Welsh School, both in the British Museum; Sir John Bromfield, 1st Baronet (c. 1610-c. 1666) of Southwark in Surrey, High Sheriff of Surrey in 1689; Arthur Bromfield (died 1650), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1604 and 1622.

Brumfield Ranking

In the United States, the name Brumfield is the 3,054^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. [3]

 Brumfield migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Brumfield or a variant listed above: 

Brumfield Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

• Mr. James Brumfield, who arrived in Jamestown, Virginia aboard the ship “Discovery” in 1607 [4]
• Kath Brumfield, who landed in Virginia in 1652 [5]
• Dorothy Brumfield, who landed in Maryland in 1668 [5]

Brumfield Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

• John Brumfield, who arrived in Virginia in 1719 [5]

Brumfield Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

• William Brumfield, aged 32, who arrived in America from London, England in 1904
• Alexandra Brumfield, aged 21, who immigrated to the United States, in 1918
• Edward Brumfield, aged 46, who landed in America in 1921

Contemporary Notables of the name Brumfield (post 1700) +

• Delores Brumfield (b. 1932), American former utility infielder/outfielder in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League who played from 1947 through 1953
• William Craft Brumfield (b. 1944), American historian of Russian architecture, Professor of Slavic studies at Tulane University
• Charlie Brumfield (b. 1948), American attorney and former professional racquetball player, inducted into the Racquetball Hall of Fame
• Scott Brumfield (b. 1970), American former professional football player who suffered a severe spinal-cord injury that left his legs temporarily paralyzed but returned to play again
• Jacob Donnell Brumfield (b. 1965), American former Major League Baseball player who played from 1992 to 1999
• Donald Alan “Don” Brumfield (b. 1938), American retired jockey with 4,573 wins, inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1996
• William W. Brumfield, American politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Wayne County, 1866 [6]
• Robert N. Brumfield, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Kentucky 1st District, 1936 [6]
• Mary Brumfield, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for U.S. Representative from Michigan 17th District, 1932 [6]
• H. Alva Brumfield, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Louisiana State Senate, 1950 [6]